Solar in Washington, DC
With Pepco's electricity at about 23.5¢ per kWh and 1,391 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical Washington home today: about a 4.7-year payback.
- Payback, typical home
- 4.7 yrsDistrict of Columbia: 4.7 yrs
- 25-year net
- $75,556after paying $22,715
- Sun
- 1,391kWh per kW per year
- Electricity
- 23.5¢31% above U.S. average
A typical Washington home, by the numbers
| Utility | Pepco |
|---|---|
| Electricity use | 638 kWh a month |
| Best-value system | 6.1 kW, about 14 panels, 8,488 kWh a year (111% of use) |
| Cost | $22,715 |
| First-year savings | $1,798 |
| Payback | 4.7 years |
| Exported power | Full retail net metering (Pepco) |
Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.
Homes in Washington
- Owner-occupied homes
- 42%
- Single-family detached
- 11%
- Median home value
- $737k
- Median year built
- 1958
- Population
- 681,294
- Roofs suitable for solar†
- 67%
Census ACS 2020–2024. †Share of 76,464 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).
Older housing stock. Many homes here were built before 1975. Have the roof and electrical panel checked before signing; a roof or panel upgrade can add thousands. Roof first?
Installers working in Washington
Public installation records for District of Columbia don't name installers, so we can't rank local companies here. Browse installers in District of Columbia.
Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.
Questions about solar in Washington
Is solar worth it in Washington, DC?
For a typical home in Washington, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 6.1 kW system costs about $22,715 after state incentives, saves about $1,798 in year one and pays back in about 4.7 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.
How much solar power does a system produce in Washington?
About 1,391 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 0% more than the District of Columbia average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.
Who is the electric utility in Washington?
Most homes in Washington are served by Pepco, at about 23.5¢ per kWh on average.
How much do solar panels cost in Washington?
A fair cash price is around $3.65 per watt before incentives, so about $22,715 for a 6.1 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.
Nearby
Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.